Zero, in his haste to reach the generator, almost ran into the closed doors of the generator room. Just as he was congratulating himself on his quick reflexes, Theta, who failed to stop, mashed Zero’s face into the door.

"Is this the generator room?" Theta asked, deftly side-stepping the fact that she had redesigned Zero’s nose and thus foregoing the need for an apology.

"Well, if you can read the sign marked THE GENERATOR ROOM, maybe you can find out," Zero said, pointing to the sign that his nose had come into close contact with recently. The good thing about being not being human, Zero thought, is that I can speak in my usual voice even after critical damage to my nose.

"Of course," Theta said in a calm manner, then proceeded to blast open the door.

The generator was a hideous-looking grey hunk of metal. In fact, if Zero hadn’t know better, he would have thought that someone had taken a number of old radiators and melted them into a heap. There wasn’t the slightest sign that its creator considered its aesthetic appeal. Whoever made this horror either was either blind, or wanted people to cringe every time they walked by the machine. Hmm, Zero thought, she doesn’t seem blind…Women, they have no eye for mechanical beauty. If I had designed this thing, Eagle would be drooling over the generator this very moment, instead of standing in a cool manner and staring at us…

Zero realised that he should probably address the problem that Eagle would pose in Theta’s quest to destroy the generator.

"Well, well, if the traitor hasn’t come home," Eagle said, subtly stepping between Theta and the generator. "And she’s brought a friend along to play. I’m sorry, Theta dear, but you’re not allowed in here."

"Eagle, my friend, it’s a shame to see you so alive and well," Zero said, in a falsely cheerful tone. "Now, then, if you don’t step away from the generator, I’m afraid I’ll have to shoot through you," he added with a sweet smile, levelling his arm cannon menacingly.

"Eagle? I do believe you’re mistaken, Zero. You are speaking to none other than Sigma," Eagle said, flashing a grin.

Zero leaned over and whispered to Theta, "I didn’t know Eagle changed his name."
"Um...I didn't know either...He’s either gone completely mad, or else we really have a problem," Theta whispered back.

"Didn’t you wonder why Vile was such a push-over?" Eagle asked.
"Well, I kind of assumed that he was cowed by my awe-inspiring talents as a Hunter," Zero replied modestly.

Eagle chuckled. "Possible, but highly improbable. Vile is so terrified of me, that he’s lost his fighting edge. You can imagine what I would do to such a fool who tried to take the place of his superior."

"So are you going to let us pass or will I have to blow a hole through you?" Zero asked impatiently. Without waiting for an answer, Zero let loose a blast. Eagle neatly blocked it with a light sabre.

"Oh dear, the other Mavericks are going to be pretty upset when they find Sigma's light sabre missing from his shrine," Theta commented.

Eagle gave Theta an icy glare for interrupting the growing tension. After what he considered a suitably chilly length of time spent in silence, he resumed his nurturing of the tension in the room.

"How about this," Eagle suggested, "a battle between myself and you two. If you win, you’ll have full access to the generator. Just to make things a little more balanced, you can both fight me at the same time, and I’ll give you three free shots."

"How stupid do you think we are? You’re just stalling so the Mavericks can destroy Elysia while we fight," Theta said. "Now get out of my way." She followed this with rapid fire towards the generator, but Eagle blocked most of the shots, and the rest damaged only the surface of the machine.

"Fine, we’ll fight with you. But there’s no need for the three free shots, and I can take you down by myself," Zero said.

"I'll need solemn oaths from both of you that you won’t tinker with the generator while we’re fighting," Eagle said.

"Yeah, sure," the two chimed, and mumbled some half-hearted oath.

"Excellent. Though to tell you the truth, I’d rather be fighting X rather than his side-kick. Oh well, can’t win them all," Eagle said, shrugging.

"What did you call me?!" Zero screamed as Theta tried to hold back an amused smile. "I'm going to feel really happy massacring you."

Suddenly the remains of the door to the generator room was viciously blasted again for the sake of effect. X stepped over the pile of ash that used to be the remains of the door.

"Hi, did I miss anything?" X asked cheerfully. "And why does Eagle have Sigma’s light sabre?"

"X, how excellent! Now I’ll have my revenge!" Eagle exclaimed. "Behold, Sigma has returned!"

"Um…hello to you too," X replied, too surprised to form a logical response. He tapped Zero’s shoulder. "What’s wrong with him?"
"We’re not sure either, but he claims to be the reborn Sigma." Zero answered.
"Eagle has been a little overworked lately," Theta added helpfully.

"I…see…" said X, who, like his two companions, really did not. He looked at Eagle-possibly-Sigma impatiently tapping his foot. This is just too weird… "So…um…Sigma," X began hesitantly, "you…ah…want to fight with me?"

"Yes. But only if you swear that you won’t run over and disable the generator while I’m distracted," Eagle/Sigma replied.

"Um…okay." X then proceeded to make some random oath.
X leaned over to Zero. "Did he do this to you guys too?"
"Yeah," Zero mumbled back. "A villain who makes his opponents promise not to destroy his plans for world domination while he’s distracted must be really disturbed."

"Shall we fight, then?" Eagle/Sigma said, getting really impatient. "You three against me?" The hand holding the light sabre was starting to shake with anticipation.

"All right, Zero and I will take on Sigma…unless Theta wouldn’t mind attacking the incarnation of all that the Mavericks stand for."

"Stop talking and start fighting!" Eagle/Sigma commanded. His left eye began to twitch.

"Well, how about you two take care of the lunatic and I’ll get to work on the generator," Theta suggested, ignoring the twitching Eagle/Sigma.

"But your oath…" Zero began.
"…your honour…" X continued.

"What, you two weren’t really mumbling oaths, were you?" Theta asked incredulously while X and Zero stared down at their feet in embarrassment.

"LET’S FIGHT!!!" Eagle/Sigma screamed.

X shrugged. "Then just the two of us against…whoever this is. It’ll be just like the good old days, right Zero?"

Zero groaned.

Onwards to Chapter Twenty
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